Things That Change
by elfe136
Summary: After Gwen is exposed as a traitor and Merlin's magic is revealed, Morgana comes to Camelot with an unexpected request. Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Morgana.


**This was written in direct response to the BBC's announcement that Merlin would finish after the fifth season. This is my version of how Merlin should end because I can't bear the thought of anyone dying.**

**Enjoy!**

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"Guinevere."

Nobody was in the great hall but the former Queen, the King and Merlin. Arthur had asked the knights to keep their distance, even though he knew that they were just as affected by this whole business as he was - this was something he needed to do alone.

"You have committed treason. You have plotted behind my back and more than once conspired with my mortal enemy, my sister Morgana, in order to kill me. Worse than that, you have betrayed me. I thought you loved me, Guinevere."

He took a deep breath, trying to hold back tears.

"The severity of your actions leave me with no other choice", he continued, his voice shaking slightly. "I hereby sentence you - to death."

He could hear Merlin letting out something between a sigh and a hiss. Arthur trusted Merlin with his life, and if it weren't for Merlin, he'd be long dead; it had been Merlin who had exposed Gwen's betrayal, revealing his own magic in the process. But Merlin was still so human. Arthur knew the feeling; as much as he tried to see Gwen as nothing else but the traitor, she was still the woman he had loved.

"Guards", he said. He knew they were waiting for his command outside and he was not disappointed. Almost instantly, the huge doors swung open and two armed guards entered the hall.

"Take her to the dungeons", Arthur ordered, his voice quiet to hide his breaking heart.

The doors closed behind her, and Guinevere was gone.

Arthur stared after her for a while, his sight slightly blurred with tears, until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Merlin.

The touch was tentative, as if Merlin wasn't really sure if this was what he should do. Arthur remembered shouting at Merlin after his servant and friend had revealed his magic, shouting about betrayal and the two people who were most important to him turning against him - but the truth was, Arthur needed Merlin more than ever. He knew that Merlin was the one person who would never, ever turn against him - no brainwashing of Morgana's could ever accomplish that. And he knew that he owed his life to Merlin's magic.

The lawful thing would be to execute Merlin as well, or at least exile him, but Arthur knew he couldn't do that. Which meant he needed to change things. A lot of things would need to change in Camelot. Everyone would know Merlin had magic and used it for the greater good. Which meant that Arthur would have to make the use of magic legal.

He turned around to face his servant. He would have to discuss these things with Merlin. But it could wait.

"You know, Merlin", he said, trying to keep his voice calm. "There's only one person who I love as much as I loved Guinevere."

"And who's that?"

"Merlin. You know who it is." And with those words, Arthur's lips were on Merlin's and it didn't matter that he was a married man and a king who probably should not be kissing a man but he was and it didn't matter because it felt _good_, and it felt right. It felt like something he should have done a long, long time ago. And Merlin was kissing him back, his lips not nearly as soft as Gwen's but still better and his mouth opened and he moaned softly as their tongues played together. Arthur could feel Merlin's stubble against his chin and it was so different from kissing a woman, but it was also so much better.

They finally broke apart and Merlin beamed at him.

"Well", he said, "this changes things."

x

In her cell in the dungeons, Gwen sat with her back to the wall, drawing her thin cloak around her. Arthur hadn't even allowed her to bring warmer clothes and she was freezing.

The prospect of her execution didn't frighten Gwen. She would be dying for her beliefs, she would be dying a martyr and no death was more honourable than that. She still believed that Arthur had done wrong, that things could have been so much better for Morgana.

But Gwen didn't hate Arthur anymore. She didn't want him dead. The only thing she felt when she thought of him was a mild sadness, because she knew that Morgana wouldn't stop until he was dead.

A soft tinkling made her look up. The door to her cell was opening slowly; she could see a key dangling in mid-air. Hastily, she got up and stepped out of her cell.

Morgana was almost invisible in one dark corner of the dungeons. Gwen knew she was the only one who could see her. No words passed between them as Morgana took her hand and pulled her outside, into freedom.

Only when they were well into the forest did Gwen dare to speak.

"I didn't think you'd come back for me."

Morgana stopped at once and turned around. Her arms were around Gwen in a second.

"Oh, Gwen, I could never abandon you to death. Don't you know - don't you know how much you mean to me?"

She took Gwen's face in her hands and smoothed her hair back, kissing her forehead, her cheeks, and leaving a single, lingering kiss on her lips. Gwen closed her eyes - she had never felt more at home than when she was in Morgana's arms -

"I - I need to tell you something, Morgana", she whispered. This was important. She couldn't lose herself in Morgana's touch - so much depended on this information.

Morgana pulled away, even though her hands never left Gwen's face.

"Merlin has magic", Gwen said. "Arthur knows about it, and apparently, he's thinking about making the use of magic legal."

Morgana's face was a mask of surprise and shock.

"Well", she said. "This changes things."

x

Early in the morning, the bells in Camelot went off. Not only had their prisoner - the Queen - escaped from the vault, but Morgana, the King's arch-enemy, could be seen standing in the courtyard, proud and tall, with a grim expression on her face that did not bode well.

She was surrounded by armed guards the moment she was spotted, but she kept them away from her by magic and demanded to see the King and his advisor Merlin immediately.

Arthur stepped outside with Merlin by his side; if they were walking just a little closer to each other, nobody pointed it out. They were almost alone in the huge courtyard, most of the guards either knocked out or running to the sides, scared for their lives by Morgana's magic.

She was no match for Merlin, though, and she knew it. She'd fought Merlin before, when he was Emrys - and even when he was old, and when she caught him off his guard, he had been just as strong as her. She couldn't even begin to estimate how powerful he must be when he was young and strong and ready to fight at the first sign of trouble.

She raised her hands and waited for Arthur to speak.

"Morgana", he said. His voice was cold. "I cannot begin to understand what you are doing here. You have killed many a good man - my father, _our_ father - as well as many brave knights. You have made several attempts on my life and have turned my wife and Queen against me. What could you possibly want?"

She glanced at him and then returned her gaze to the man by Arthur's side.

"I wish to speak to Merlin", she said clearly. "In private."

Arthur turned towards Merlin, who reassured him with a look and stepped forwards.

"Morgana", he said.

"Can you assure us that you are without evil intent?", Arthur demanded.

Morgana looked at him for a long moment, then nodded.

"You will find my dragon outside the gates. You know her, Merlin - it's Aithusa. If you will promise to care for her and do her no harm, you will not have anything to fear from me."

Arthur nodded. Morgana knew he probably didn't trust her and was cautious, but also probably suspected that she had helped Gwen escape and that the news of Merlin having magic - and the King accepting it - had changed Morgana's mind.

He would find a strong and important ally in her.

A few minutes later, she found herself in a small chamber in the castle with Merlin.

"So", he said. "You wanted to talk to me."

"Gwen said you had magic", she replied, getting straight to the point. "Turns out you and I are not so different after all."

"Except that I only used my magic for good. You killed Uther. You tried to kill Arthur."

"Yes", Morgana answered patiently. "But you of all people should understand -" She sensed that he was about to interrupt, and quickly added, "Do you remember the first time I discovered I had magic? Years ago, Merlin, do you remember?"

He slowly nodded.

"I was all alone, Merlin, I had nobody to share this burden with. I suppose you were there for me, but you couldn't reveal your secret - I understand why you didn't, but it would have made things easier for me. It was difficult. It was horrible. No wonder Morgause turned me against everyone I ever loved. She found me when I was weakest and she was exactly what I needed at that time -"

"I don't know what you're trying to say", Merlin said.

"I'm trying to say I'm sorry", Morgana said. Merlin looked taken aback.

"I'm trying to make you understand why I did what I did. If I had known - you having magic - Merlin, it changes everything, don't you see? I could use my powers for good, just like you."

She could tell that Merlin didn't really believe her.

"Alright", he said. "I'll put a powerful truth spell on you - you will not be able to say anything you don't mean. Oh, and I'll restrain your magic so you can't counteract the spell. Are you okay with that?"

Morgana knew it was the only chance to make him believe her, so she nodded and closed her eyes. Merlin muttered a long, complicated spell and Morgana couldn't help but notice how well the words fell from his lips, and how ancient and fitting they sounded. Merlin, the great magician - she had once heard a prophecy about Emrys. And Merlin was Emrys.

The next moment, she felt her magic slip away from her. Her first response was to frantically grab for it and fight for control - if her magic slipped away, God only knew what it would do - but nothing happened, and she knew that it was Merlin's doing, that it was perfectly controlled.

She realised she trusted Merlin.

She also realised that once the magic was gone, she felt more free than she had in years, ever since she discovered her magic. She didn't have to control it anymore. She felt like a normal person again. She opened her eyes and watched Merlin as he chanted the second spell - the truth spell.

It wasn't necessary, for she was already telling the truth, but she endured it and knew that she had to make him trust her, the way she trusted him.

She repeated her story, telling him exactly how she had felt and how she felt now.

"I wish to form an alliance with you and Arthur", she finished. "Together, we would be stronger than anyone else, we could defend this land against anything."

Merlin was silent for a moment.

"Merlin", Morgana said, a slightly pleading tone entering her voice. "You know I can't lie to you. But can you answer me this? What is Arthur going to do with me? I've surrendered to you completely, he could have me executed."

"And he probably would if it wasn't for me", Merlin answered. "But things have changed. Not only this -", he gestured vaguely to the space between them, "but also because I have magic. He is contemplating making magic legal to all, which would mean training young wizards. So far, that task falls only to me and a few... helpers. They're not strong, though. You are."

He looked at her intently.

"You could help, Morgana. If you are truly at our side, we could build a school, or a guild, for young magicians from all of Albion. We could train them. They would be like the knights, specialised in magic - you're right, you know. We could defend ourselves against anything. Arthur has no shortage of enemies; if you were on our side, it would mean a great advantage."

"Thank you, Merlin", Morgana said.

x

And so the greatest and most important alliance in the history of Britain was made. It would be called the Pendragon's Alliance for centuries to come - the alliance between the estranged brother and sister, between the King and his mortal enemy.

Morgana returned to Camelot as well as Gwen (she had made the return of the Queen a condition for the treaty). Arthur was High King, with Merlin as his most trusted advisor, and Morgana and Gwen were both crowned Queens of Albion. Young Aithusa was reunited with wise Kilgarrah, and the older dragon healed her wounds, taught her to speak and looked after her. The School of Magic was established with Morgana and Merlin as head magicians, and they took in twenty youths with magical potential every year. Albion became the most peaceful and powerful country in the world; Arthur Pendragon held the throne for many years to come.

And one day, about a year after Morgana had pledged allegiance to the King, a ceremony of the greatest splendour was seen in Camelot. The King was getting married again - this time, to his trusted advisor and friend, Merlin. Nobody thought it strange, after all, Arthur was the King - if he did something, it had to be right. At the same time, the two Queens, Morgana and Gwen, pledged their lives to each other as well. It was a festival the likes of which had never been seen before, and will most likely never be seen again.

It is sufficient to say that they truly lived happily ever after until the end of their days as Kings and Queens of Camelot.


End file.
